1600 Penn

I found this show to be very amusing. It isn't meant to be super serious or super funny it is a typical sitcom in terms of content spread. There are parts that are extremely funny, parts that are uncomfortable, and parts that make you actually feel bad for the characters. There is nothing drastically wrong with the show although it may not be everyone's cup of soup. On the scale of Sitcoms it would fall somewhere between Cougar Town and Everybody Loves Raymond and is definitely not garbage.

The primary concept of the show is following the family of the President through the trials and tribulations of day to day life. As with most TV comedies there are of course a smattering of character flaws that exist which cause unusual situations to come about at a higher than usual pace. The core building blocks of this show are tried and true and while most shows are a little rough around the edges at first as well this one will develop quickly as the actors/actresses become more used to their characters.

It is worth a watch especially since you can see it for free on IMDb/hulu.

I read the discouraging reviews on here and saw the abysmal ratings for this show. Based on those criteria, I almost didn't bother watching at all. But the first two episodes were on the DVR, so we thought we'd give it a try.

The first scene of episode 1 reminded me of something like "Animal House", not a good recommendation from my point of view. However, we persevered, and actually found it to be quite enjoyable. We then watched the second episode, and enjoyed it more than the first.

1600 Penn is fast-paced, quirky entertainment. With a bit of time to develop the characters, it might be more than that.

Get rid of the "Skip" character. Replace him with someone more talented. The rest of the cast is talented. Let them do their jobs. The "Skip" character is so obnoxious, it takes away from any potential this show has. It also takes away from the very capable actors. The focus should be Pullman and Elfman. A president with a trophy wife trying to raise the step kids in the public eye would be enough to carry this show especially with the talent of Pullman and Elfman. The relationship between the step mom and the older daughter would also be an excellent focal point. The relationship between the family and the Presidents assistant could also be a focus. The assistant to the president is played by an excellent actor. He is very talented and entertaining to watch.

I actually like the way that the show is coming together, but this Skip character is SO distracting and off-balance with all of the other, very very good actors (including the great Rene Auberjonois), that it makes many moments of the show frankly unwatchable. The writers really need to make the Skip character more of an occasional visitor - send him to boarding school. And don't make the baby daddy a total idiot like Skip. He's good as his own brand of not-so- smart but lovable. If NBC allows this to stay on for a while, then I think it will grow a nice audience. We need another really smart comedy to replace the departing 30 Rock and to accompany the ailing Community. Or perhaps we can just get NBC finally to support production on Community once and for all instead of continuing to dangle it over a cliff.

I've watched every episode, and absolutely love it. I think it's a perfect addition to the Thursday night comedy lineup on NBC, and I've laughed heartily at every episode. I look forward to it every week and certainly hope it gets renewed.

I am genuinely confused by the middling reviews this show has gotten, and I'm especially perplexed by the hate directed toward Josh Gad, who not only creates the show but acts as its heart and soul as the well intentioned idiot Skip Gilchrist.

Bill Pullman and Jenna Elfman are perfect together both as the president and first lady but also when the show features their private life as a regular old husband and wife (albeit with a little more power than average).

A lot of the show's strength comes from the love triangle between Martha McIssac (Becca) the very talented Andre Holland (Marshall) and the surprisingly likable Robbie Amell (D.B.). These three have great chemistry and comedic timing together.

Give the show a shot. It doesn't look like it'll be back for round 2, which is a shame, but these 13 episodes have been a blast.